Chain-link roofing mop



April 30, 1963 R. D. GARLOCK CHAIN-LINK ROOFING MOP Filed July 15, 1961 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 3,087,188 CHAIN-LINK ROQFING MOP Russell D. Garlock, 5533 Mirror Lakes Drive, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed July 13, 1961, Ser. No. 123,793 3 Claims. (Cl. 15511) This invention relates to apparatus for applying and spreading hot asphalt, tar or the like, on a surface such as a roof.

Heretofore the most common device for spreading hot tar or asphalt, commonly known as hot stuff, on a roof surface has been a mop constructed of a multiplicity of strands or pieces of pliable fiberglass or other fabric-type material. When new, such mops are satisfactory, but after being used and then cooled, such mops harden with the hardened tar and are difiicult to subsequently thaw out. This problem is particularly acute in the case of mops which in their ordinary use are attached to a mobile machine so that the mop may not be easily immersed in a receptacle of hot stuff, as in the case of a hand mop.

With these comments in mind, it is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages to which the present invention is directed, along with the inclusion therein of other novel and desirable features.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved mop for spreading hot stuff such as tar and asphalt on a roof surface.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel mop for spreading tar and the like and which may be repeatedly used and cooled without necessitating being cleaned or otherwise treated.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved tar-spreading mop which, after being allowed to stand cool, as overnight, need not be thawed out prior to being put back into use.-

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a novel and improved hot tar-spreading mop with flexible spreading elements of such a nature that the mop will cause the hot tar to drain and drip off after a spreading job is complete and particularly to the extent that the spreading elements are subsequently ready for immediate use again.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2. is an enlarged detail section view taken approximately at 22 in FIG. 1.

One form of the present invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein.

The machine, indicated in general by numeral is illustrated to typify apparatus for applying and spreading hot stuff such as hot tar in liquid condition on a roof surface. The machine 10 includes a receptacle 11 which may actually constitute the frame of the machine, and a pair of mounting wheels 12 for supporting the machine and making the machine mobile, and a handle '13 which may be manually gripped for pushing the machine forwardly in the direction of arrow F. Of course it will be understood that the present invention may be used on machines wherein the handle is arranged to be pulled or pushed. The receptacle is provided with substantially conventional outlet ports at its bottom, below the axes of the wheels and these ports may be controlled by valves which are operated by a handle 14 which operates the valves through a linkage mechanism 15.

The machine 10 also includes a mechanism including brackets 16 for mounting and supporting the spreading mop, which is indicated in general by numeral 17. The

mop-mounting mechanism provides for moving of the brackets 16 and framework 18 upwardly and downwardly by means of a linkage 19 connected through an arm 20 onto shaft 21 which is rotated to one position or another position by a handle 22 so as to raise and lower the mop 17 into and out of tar-spreading relation with respect to the roof surface.

The mop 17 has an elongate rigid frame member 23 which is normally horizontally oriented adjacent the rear side of the machine 10- and is clamped and supported by the brackets '16. In the form shown, the frame member 23 has a substantially box-like shape with a rounded lower edge portion 24. The frame member 23 has a plurality of slots or notches 25 in the lower rounded edge 24 thereof.

The mop 17 also has a plurality of elongate flexible tar-spreading elements or chains 26 depending from the frame member 23 in juxtaposed and free-swinging relation with respect to each other. The chains 26 are disposed close enough to each other so that when the chains hang in their normal position as seen in FIG. 1, the chains will engage each other. The uppermost link 27 of each of the chains 26 projects slightly into one of the notches or slots 25 in the lower edge of the frame member 23 and is secured therein by an elongate rigid bar 28 which extend-s lengthwise throughout the frame member 23 and through the uppermost link 27 of each of the chains.

It is to be particularly noted that each of the links of the chains 26 is constructed of metal, and it is preferred that the links of the chains 26 be constructed of a ferrous metal. The iron or steel links are smooth surfaced and are smoothly contoured so that the. hot tar will flow smoothly along the length of the chains, whereby to produce a desirable spreading effect. It will be understood that as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 in full lines, the mop 17 is elevated above the roof surface so as to be in inoperative position. Normally the mop 17 will be left in this condition when the machine 10 is allowed to stand overnight.

In the use of the mop 17, the receptacle 11 of the machine 10 is supplied with a quantity of hot liquid tar or other similar material to be applied onto a roof surface, and the handle 14 is operated to open the outlet openings so that liquid tar can be applied onto the roof surface at the rear of the machine 10. The tar is applied onto the roof surface immediately ahead of the mop 17. The handle 22 is swung so as to lower the frame 18, brackets 16 and mop 17, whereupon the chains 26 will move downwardly into engagement with the roof surface. As the machine is pushed forwardly in the direction of arrow F, the chains 26 will assume the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 wherein the dot-dash line S indicates the approximate position of the roof surface. The chains 26 will drag along and pass over the roof surface and will evenly spread the hot liquid tar on the surface. It will be understood that the hot liquid tar will flow between and through the chains and will be spread evenly over the roof surface beneath the chains. The chains will not cause any build-up of liquid tar, or squee-gee effect as the chains are drawn along over the surface S.

When the machine is to be stopped at a particular location, the handle 14 will be operated to stop the flow of hot liquid tar from the receptacle onto the surface and the handle 22 will also be operated to lift up the mop 17 into the position shown in FIG. 1. When the mop 17 is lifted to the position shown in FIG. 1 with the chains 26 hanging directly downwardly, the iron links of the chains will retain a substantial amount of heat which has been absorbed from the hot liquid tar and the heat retained in the chains is suflicient to maintain the tar on the chains in liquid condition which allows the tar to drain downwardly along the chains and drip off the lower ends thereof. The smooth surfaces of the chains and the smoothly cur-ved contours thereof will allow the tar to drain substantially completely off the chains so that not even a film of tar remains on the chains after a few moments. The chains are essentially clean and there is not even enough tar remaining at the points of interconnection between the links so as to make it difiicult to flex the chains.

When the machine is again put back into operation, the hot tar in the receptacle is again allowed to drain out when the outlet ports are opened and the mop 17 is lowered so that the chains again assume the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 with respect to the roof surface S. As soon as the chains are lowered to the surface S, the chains will flex and will again absorb a quantity of heat from the hot liquid tar being spread on the surface S. Because the chains are made of metal, an absolute minimum remains on the chains at the time the machine is put back into operation, and furthermore, the chains will absorb heat and will melt any small quantities of tar which might possibly remain on the links of the chain so as to eliminate any obstructions along the links of the chains and thereby allow the hot liquid tar to pass smoothly through and between the chains and thereby properly distributed and spread over the roof surface. It will be understood that the bottom of the receptacle 11 has a plurality of outlet openings at its bottom between the wheels 12 so as to obtain a fairly even distribution of the tar on the roof surface and then this tar which has been applied in this manner is adequately spread by the chains.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A mop for spreading hot tar, asphalt and the like to a surface, comprising means carrying and applying the hot tar onto the surface, an elongate frame mounted on said means and normally oriented in a horizontal position, and a plurality of elongate flexible tar-spreading elements secured to and depending from said frame in juxtaposed and free-swinging relation with respect to each other, each of said elements including a plurality of metal links, each connected in end-to-end relation with other links, whereby the metal links absorb heat from the hot tar and retain the heat to maintain the tar in liquid condition to permit the tar to drain down said spreading elements and drip off.

2. A mop for spreading hot tar, asphalt and the like onto a surface such as a roof, comprising mobile means movable forwardly over said surface and carrying and applying the hot tar onto the surface, an elongate frame mounted on said mobile means and normally oriented in a horizontal position, and a plurality of elongate flexible tar-spreading elements having upper ends respectively secured along said frame and depending therefrom in juxtaposed and free-swinging relation with each other, each of said elements including a plurality of metal, smooth-surfaced and smoothly contoured metal links each swingably connected in end-to-end relation with other links, whereby the metal links absorb heat from the hot tar and retain the heat to maintain the tar in liquid condition sufliciently long to permit the tar to drain from the smooth surface and smoothly curved metal links so as to substantially clean the links and prepare the mop for immediate use in spreading tar again.

3. Apparatus for applying and spreading hot tar, asphalt and the like onto a surface such as a roof, said apparatus comprising mobile means movable forwardly over the surface and carrying and applying the hot tar onto the surface, a spreading mop mounted on said mobile means to engage the hot tar applied to the surface, said mop having an elongate horizontally oriented frame and also having a plurality of elongate flexible tar-spreading elements having upper ends respectively secured along said frame and said tar-spreading elements depending from the frame in juxtaposed and free-swinging relation with each other, each of said elements including a plurality of metal links, each connected in end-to-end relation with othe'r'links, and means lowering and raising the mop and spreading elements respectively into and out of engagement with the hot tar on the roof surface for respectively spreading the tar evenly over the surface and allowing the tar to drain and drip off the spreading elements to be ready for immediate usage again.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 791,726 Schutte June 6, 1905 1,150,936 Furnas Aug. 24, 1915 1,183,238 Robertson May 16, 1916 

1. A MOP FOR SPREADING HOT TAR, ASPHALT AND THE LIKE TO A SURFACE, COMPRISING MEANS CARRYING AND APPLYING THE HOT TAR ONTO THE SURFACE, AN ELONGATE FRAME MOUNTED ON SAID MEANS AND NORMALLY ORIENTED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION, AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATE FLEXIBLE TAR-SPREADING ELEMENTS SECURED TO AND DEPENDING FROM SAID FRAME IN JUXTAPOSED AND FREE-SWINGING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF METAL LINKS, EACH CONNECTED IN END-TO-END RELATION WITH OTHER LINKS, PERMIT THE TAR TO DRAIN DOWN SAID SPREADING ELEMENTS AND DRIP OFF. 